President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni used his national address during the Budget Reading at Kololo to sharply criticize politicians who engage in endless fundraising activities and bribery, warning that such practices have distorted public expectations and undermined Uganda’s democratic culture.
The President singled out a group he referred to as “YPA,” accusing them of opportunism and cheap popularity stunts.
“A group known as YPA, opportunistically and for cheap popularity, started going round the country and conducting fund-raising for some cheap popularity projects, schools, etc. I warned them but they could not listen,” said Museveni.
He explained that he had earlier refrained from reacting firmly to such behavior due to regional instability in Rwanda, Congo, and South Sudan. However, he revealed that the same concern was the reason he rejected calls to increase the President’s salary.
The President blamed the culture of excessive fundraising and bribery for misleading the population into believing that leaders are moneyed and should constantly “share” money with constituents.
“This led the population to believe that political leaders have a lot of money and must share it with voters in the form of bribes and endless fund-raisings,” he said.
Museveni warned that even though Members of Parliament awarded themselves generous salaries, it was still “not enough to meet these indisciplined demands” from the public, which has caused many MPs to flee from their constituencies under the weight of financial pressure and debt.
Instead, the Head of State championed government programmes like NAADS, OWC, PDM, and Emyooga as the legitimate and sustainable solutions for poverty eradication, not “petty money from MPs.”
“The current coffee boom was on account of government scientists who developed the improved clonal coffee. The Kalangala Palm Oil projects are also government-led. These are the projects that have transformed people’s lives, not petty bribes from MPs,” he emphasized.
The President further cautioned voters to guard their democratic rights and not be swayed by handouts, arguing that corrupt fundraisers were undermining their power to elect effective leaders.
“Do not accept petty money from politicians and throw away your power to elect a leader that can kwemerera (supervise) the money sent through the Parish, fight corruption, etc.,” he said.
He explained that rooting out political corruption would make it easier to fight public service corruption because the people “the victims of corruption” would act as reliable whistleblowers.
Referring to claims that he himself offers bribes through “brown envelopes,” the President clarified: “Do not mix up issues. The brown envelopes I give are part of our ancient traditions. It is called okurongoora ,the King gives that to singers or wrestlers. The President is the modern King. I have a budget for that. I do not sell my cows to give out money.”
He emphasized that the true Ugandan way of collective contribution is okusonda , small, equal contributions from many people not individuals being extorted for large sums.
President Museveni urged church leaders and parents to question young leaders who seem to be flaunting wealth.
“Even church leaders and other elders should ask those young mistake makers: ‘Naye mwana wange, esente zino zonna ozigyawa?’ My child, from where are you getting all this money that you are throwing around?” he said.